Herman Miller Brand Guidelines

1. Advocating for the Herman Miller brand

The Herman Miller brand is one of our most valuable assets. We want you to become advocates for our brand and to help us use it consistently.

Our brand is expressed in many ways—our behavior, our products, our communications. We are asking you to pay special attention to two ways we express our brand—through the use of our logomark and our brand promise.

We hope you will join us in our efforts to strengthen and expand this already wonderful part of Herman Miller. These guidelines give you clear ways you can help in this important work.

2. Brand introduction

A brand is a perception of a product, service, experience, or organization. The Herman Miller brand is shorthand for who we are, what we do, and why we do it. It stands for our products, our services, and our values. It sums up our history. It points toward our future.

Logomark and Logotype

Logomark: the graphic symbol of a brand [Herman Miller stylized M icon]

Herman Miller

Logotype: the specific typographic treatment of a name

Brand Promise

Brand Promise: a phrase that sums up our highest and collective aspirations

“[for] a better world around you”

We conducted research to learn how different groups of people perceive the Herman Miller brand. People consistently chose two words to describe us: Pioneer and Advocate. A pioneer originates new lines of thinking; an advocate works in the interests of others. Our brand promise, “for a better world around you,” embodies those perceptions. The word “for” conveys our advocacy. “Better world” implies our commitment to finding original, inventive ways of improving the world our customers inhabit—whether it's an office, hospital, school, home, an entire building, or the world at large.

The phrase “around you” puts the reason for our advocacy and pioneering efforts into clear focus: We do this for you—whether that “you” is a customer, an employee, a partner, a shareholder, or a member of our community.

See page 16 for more information on using the brand promise.

3. Logomark evolution

Logomarks often evolve. The most recent evolution for ours has separated, or unlocked, the stylized M in the circle from the words Herman Miller.

[Image showing the old logo approach with 'HermanMiller' and dots, and the new logomark which is a stylized 'M' within a circle.]

Eventually, we will use only the stylized M logomark to identify Herman Miller. Our intent is to emphasize the stylized M as the most important visual asset of the brand and give our customers a single, simple, and memorable symbol for our company. Compare this to Nike's swoosh or Apple's apple.

For now, while more people learn that our logomark stands for Herman Miller, we want to relate the two elements. The examples on page 5 show how the stylized M can relate to the words Herman Miller.

Relating Logomark to Herman Miller

The association between the stylized M logomark and the words Herman Miller can occur in several ways.

The logotype (HermanMiller) can be used to supplement the stylized M logomark as we transition to a time when people know that it stands for Herman Miller. (See examples a and b)

Using the logotype to supplement the logomark requires an art file (.tiff, .eps, .jpg, or .gif) because of the special formatting.

Everywhere else—as when you type Herman Miller in text—two words are called for. (See example c)

[Diagrams illustrating the association between the logomark and logotype. Example 'a' shows a cover with logomark and logotype. Example 'b' shows an ad using the website address. Example 'c' shows an ad with 'Herman Miller' in the website address.]

4. Business communications

The most fundamental business communication is the standard correspondence system (letterhead, business card, and envelope).

Pre-formatted template files for creating letters, addressing envelopes, and making on-screen presentations are available from Herman Miller Brand Marketing.

[Examples of Herman Miller business communication templates: letterhead, business card, and presentation slide.]

5. The visual use of the brand

Space

Open it up. Give the logomark room to shine.

The logomark should always be surrounded by a clear space at least 50% of the logomark size.

The logotype should always be surrounded by a clear space at least the height of the capital H.

[Diagrams illustrating clear space requirements for the logomark and logotype, and the proportional relationship between them.]

Scale

Go for impact, but balance the logomark with other elements.

The logomark should be at least 1¼-inch in diameter.

[Image of Herman Miller Embody Chairs with contact information and website.] These examples demonstrate that more space doesn't require a larger logomark.

Color

We love red; it's in our blood (but black and white are sometimes necessary).

Color Specifications:

C.M.Y.K: 0.93.100.0
Spot: Herman Miller custom red
RGB: 255.51.0
Pantone Goe: 18-1-7 C

Please consider the intended media when applying the logomark; use the corresponding specification.

Print: paper applications (from office copiers or professional offset printers) use either 4-color process (CMYK) or spot color inks (Pantone Goe library). Suggested files: .tif or .eps

Screen: work viewed on-screen (projected presentations or websites) use an RGB value. Suggested files: .jpg or .gif

Other: embroidered amenities and product applications need special attention. Suggested file: .eps

[Images showing the logomark on a white background and a dark/complex background.]

Type

Meta. More Meta. (Sometimes Verdana).

Typography is an important part of visual communication; Meta is an important element for communicating the Herman Miller brand. Why? Like our company, the Meta type family is friendly and modern. Like good seating, Meta works in a wide range of sizes. It makes small copyright lines legible and provides impact for large applications on signs or trucks. Meta also translates well to both printed and on-screen presentations.

Meta is Herman Miller's principal typeface, but sometimes a complementary typeface is useful. For copy in PowerPoint or e-mail messages, Verdana is a good substitute because it is installed on every computer as a part of the operating system.

Typeface Examples:

Meta Book & Meta Bold (with old-style and lining figures for numerals)
Meta Roman, Meta Italic, Meta Caps

[Examples of Herman Miller typefaces: Meta Book, Meta Bold, Meta Roman, Meta Italic, Meta Caps. Explanation of old-style and lining figures.]

Media

To keep the "points" of the stylized M logomark crisp, use the correct file for your media.

[Visual representations of Herman Miller logomark files for different media: Micro (for on-screen), Normal (for print), and Display (for large sizes).]

On-screen: work viewed on screen (presentations or websites), use the logomark with tips that are more open and easily translated into pixels (Micro, see 2 below).

Print: printed paper applications (from office copiers or professional offset printers), use the logomark with finer points (Normal or Display, see 2 below).

Special substrates: fabric embroidery, silkscreened plastics, signage, or embossed steel require additional testing and consideration. Please request a recommendation from Herman Miller Brand Marketing.

There are two ways to keep the logomark crisp:

Use an image file (.eps, .tif, or .gif) that is close to the actual size you need to prevent scaling the file size up or down by more than 10%. These files include both the logomark and logotype.
Use one of the proprietary Herman Miller font files: Herman Miller Micro wide simplified "tips" that keep the mark open when viewed in small sizes (below 16pt); Herman Miller Normal small flat “tips” that keep the mark open when viewed in the most common sizes (16pt to 72pt); Herman Miller Display “tips” that come to a complete point for large sizes (above 72pt).

Trademarks

Trademarks play an important role in protecting a brand's intellectual investments and marketplace leadership. The following examples demonstrate the requirements for protecting our products, services, and ideas. Please note that when the logomark is used alone, it is not necessary to add a trademark symbol to it.

Always: Introducing Setu™ Chairs. Its innovative kinematic spine bends and flexes to your every move. There's nothing to tilt, nothing to tweak. Setu's finely tuned elastomeric fabric provides superior suspension and conforms to your contours. It's comfort now.

We always add a trademark symbol to a product or service name the first time it appears in copy. It is not necessary to repeat the trademark. Also, use the product or service name as an adjective modifying a noun the first time it appears, as in “Setu Chairs." This should be done whenever possible, but certainly at the first prominent use of a product or service name.

We always include a copyright line in all printed material.

Sometimes: © 2010 Herman Miller, Inc., Zeeland, Michigan ®, HermanMiller, Action Office, Aeron, Ambi, Avive, Caper, Celle, Co/Struc, Eames, Ethospace, Ergon 3, Equa 2, Herman Miller Options, Meridian, Mirra, My Studio, Pedastool, Resolve, V-Wall, and Vivo are among the registered trademarks of Herman Miller, Inc. ™ Intent, My Studio Environments, Stackable, Setu, Stackable Storage, and Vantage are among the trademarks of Herman Miller, Inc.

In more complicated pieces that mention many products or trademarks (like brochures), we provide a comprehensive list at the end that includes both the copyright line and a list of all trademarks and service marks used in the piece.

6. The written use of the brand

Tone: Honest. Friendly. Spirited. Human. Purposeful. Conversational. Informative.

A brand based on “a better world around you” implies the voice you would use in a conversation over dinner. It is plain-spoken, confident, original, energetic, inspiring, and sometimes passionate. There is a sense of the playful, a sense of humor, friendliness, and hospitality. There is an absence of jargon.

Our brand promise implies action, too, so that the conversation is purposeful. We undertake things for a reason. Our products and services solve problems, improve people's environments. We never talk just to hear ourselves, and we listen intently. We are as considerate as we are clear.

Because we work “for a better world around you,” our communication focuses on the human qualities of the people we serve.

“for a better world around you”

When to use the brand promise:

As a sign-off incorporated into a sentence in corporate pieces focused on the brand or the corporation, rather than a product or specific program, or when the copy needs to tie back to Herman Miller.
As an introduction of the brand when the piece is focused on a vertical market like healthcare or retail.

When Not to Use:

As a headline or part of a headline.
As a tagline or a phrase associated with the logomark.

How to Use:

Always keep the phrase “a better world around you” intact as a unit.
Include the preposition “for” when possible, as in “Being an advocate for the environment is one way we work for a better world around you.”
Combine the phrase with an action verb, such as work, create, make, design, build, etc.
In cases where “work, heal, learn, live” language was used in the past (as in “...that improve the human experience wherever people work, heal, learn, and live”), replace it with language such as, “Our products and services improve your environment, whether it's an office, hospital, school, home, an entire building, or the world at large.
When dealing with products or programs in which the overall brand statement is not appropriate, use “for you” or “you” statements. Consider this statement from a sales presentation: “Action Office evolves for you.”

Useful Brand Statements

Consistent use of our brand promise—“for a better world around you”—is vital for engaging with our audiences in all markets and contexts. To that end, here are ready-made statements and suggestions for where to use them.

Version 1 (Short constraint): At Herman Miller, we design and develop furniture and related services and technologies that improve your office, hospital, school, or home. It's how we work for a better world around you.

Version 2 (50-word-or-less): At Herman Miller, we design and develop furniture and related services and technologies that improve your environment, whether it's an office, hospital, school, home, an entire building, or the world at large. In business over 100 years, we continue working hard to create a better world around you.

Version 3 (In-depth description): Herman Miller is a 100-year-old-plus company that places great importance on design, the environment, community service, and the health and well-being of our customers and our employees. Innovative ways to improve the performance of our customers' organizations have become our hallmark. Our award-winning furniture and related services and technologies are available through dealers and retailers around the world. Whether your world is an office, a school, a home, or a hospital—and whether you are a customer, an employee, a shareholder, or a member of our community—we work hard to create a better world around you.

Version 4 (Boilerplate): At Herman Miller, we work for a better world around you. We do this by designing and developing award-winning furniture and related services and technologies that improve your environment, whether it's an office, hospital, school, home, an entire building, or the world at large. In fiscal 2009, we generated $1.6 billion in revenue. More than 100 years of innovative business practices and a commitment to social responsibility have established Herman Miller as a recognized global company. In 2009, we were again cited by FORTUNE as both the “Most Admired” in our industry and among the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America, while Fast Company named Herman Miller among the innovative “Companies to Watch.” Herman Miller trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol MLHR.

7. Authorship of the brand

Don't let people forget who we are and what we do. Another way to advocate for the brand is to make sure people know that Herman Miller is the author. To do this, put the words Herman Miller in the first position when you mention our products, services, or programs. Do this in the first instance; after that the product, service, or program name can stand alone.

In all situations—a headline for an ad, the body copy for a brochure, the script for a radio program sponsorship, etc.—make Herman Miller the author. For example:

Introducing the Herman Miller Setu™ chair. For how we live and work now.
The Herman Miller rePurpose™ program gives companies a sustainable furniture disposal solution.
This program is brought to you by Room & Board, your authorized retailer for the Herman Miller Aeron® chair and other great products for lifework.

By putting Herman Miller front and center at the outset, we make it clear we are the author of, and only source for, these products, services, and programs.

8. Making brand decisions

Brand Guideposts

How do we know if our work is on brand? The following six guideposts will help keep us on track. Try to include as many of these attributes as possible.

Simplify: Like good design, our communications should be refreshingly simple. Take the complex, distill it, and make it simpler. Get to the heart of the issue/problem. Make sure the takeaway is singular and consistent.
Tell a story: People remember stories, not statistics or lists. Tell engaging, memorable stories. Create emotional pull and impact. Bring a new and different perspective.
Be human: At Herman Miller, everything starts with people. Show the human perspective. Demonstrate empathy and advocacy. Focus on the human situation, inspiration, and benefit.
Inspire: Herman Miller is a pioneering company. Make others wish they had done what we did. Encourage others to follow our lead. Be provocative and challenge convention.
Think big: Herman Miller is one of the world's most innovative companies and top places to work. Think beyond office furniture. Look beyond West Michigan. See beyond today.
Be spirited: Let your audiences see and feel the Herman Miller spirit. We're serious about our work, friendly in our relationships, and creative in our play. Bring this spirit everywhere people experience the Herman Miller brand.

Questions to Ask

You need an ad or trade show banner. What's next?

What is the intent of the material? Promote a product? Connect with a certain audience? Represent a corporate sponsorship or community effort?
Do you know the production specifics and design parameters? Is it to be printed in black and white—or color? What's the trim size? How should the files be delivered? In what format?
What impact will licensing rights have on how your material will be used? Are you purchasing rights for one-time or multiple uses? In what type of media will you use your material?

The Ingredients

[Visuals and numbered lists detailing the 'ingredients' for a brand piece featuring the Herman Miller Setu Chair.]

1. The HermanMiller Setu® Chair
2. Instructions: Sit back. Relax. Introducing the Setu Lounge, how we live and work now.
3. [Herman Miller logomark icon]
4. [Image of Herman Miller chairs]
5. hermanmiller.com/setu

The Assembly

[Visuals and numbered lists detailing the 'assembly' for a brand piece featuring the Herman Miller Setu Chair.]

1. product name (with trademark): HermanMiller Setu™ Chairs
2. copy messages: Instructions: Sit back. Relax. Introducing the Setu Lounge. How we live and work now.
3. logomark: [Herman Miller logomark icon]
4. selected image: [Image of Herman Miller chairs]
5. call to action-website: hermanmiller.com/setu

Note: The www prefix is no longer used in the Herman Miller web address.

Examples

Here are some recent projects that demonstrate brand decisions and design thinking.

[Image of material samples, books, and a laptop, representing projects demonstrating brand decisions and design thinking.]

Guideposts included: simplify, be spirited, inspire.

Advertisement example: HermanMiller Setu™ Chairs. "Goes anywhere. Fits anybody. Unlike anything." [Image of the Setu chair.]

Guideposts included: tell a story, simplify, be human.

Advertisement example: Featuring GreenHouse Honey, illustrating Herman Miller's company philosophy and commitment to the environment. [Image of a honey bottle with bees.]

Guideposts included: tell a story, be human, simplify, inspire, be spirited.

Note also the association of the words Herman Miller, which begin the ad, and the logomark by itself, which ends it.

Advertisement example: Featuring the Aeron® chair, promoting careers and the company's spirit of innovation and inclusiveness. Includes award logos. "SIT HERE GO PLACES." [Images of people in chairs, award logos.]

Guideposts included: be human, tell a story, be spirited.

Note also the association of the logomark, used by itself, with both the web address and the words Herman Miller in the first sentence.

Examples of products: USB drive and cap featuring the Herman Miller logomark. [Images of a USB drive and a cap.]

Guideposts included: simplify.

Incorrect Applications

Do not apply effects like drop-shadows, bevels, or stretched proportions.

Do not miscolor or outline the logomark (or logotype).

Do not combine the logomark and logotype.

Do not fill the logomark or logotype with imagery.

[Grid of incorrect applications of the Herman Miller logomark and logotype, marked with red crosses.]

9. Resources

If you need help, please contact Brand Marketing.

Email: brand_help@hermanmiller.com

Tools to use as you advocate for the Herman Miller brand:

Brand assets (logomarks in a variety of formats)
Product image resource
The Herman Miller trademark list
Herman Miller social media guidelines
Source for purchasing the Meta typeface
Source for Herman Miller custom red ink (for offset printing)

10. Bibliography

These are excellent resources for building your brand knowledge.

BOOKS

Designing Brand Identity (third edition), Alina Wheeler
The Brand Gap, Marty Neumeier
ZAG, Marty Neumeier
The Designful Company, Marty Neumeier
The Dictionary of Brand, Marty Neumeier
It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be, Paul Arden
Brand Simple: How the Best Brands Keep it Simple and Succeed, Allen Adamson
Brand Digital: Simple Ways Top Brands Succeed in the Digital World, Allen Adamson

WEBSITES

Business Week resources: Brand Blog and Nussbaum On Design
@Issue Online Journal of Business & Design

	Herman Miller Product Catalog Updates and Lead Time Information This document provides an update on Herman Miller's product catalog, including new product lines, removed finishes, and changes to lead times. It details product prefixes, descriptions, and associated lead time flags.
	Herman Miller x Logitech G Embody Gaming Chair Recycling Guide Comprehensive disassembly instructions for the Herman Miller x Logitech G Embody Gaming Chair, detailing tools, materials, and step-by-step procedures for recycling.
	Gemma Flop Sofa by Herman Miller: Versatile Healthcare Seating Explore the Gemma Flop Sofa from Herman Miller, designed for comfort and functionality in healthcare environments. This versatile sofa bed offers multiple configurations, easy maintenance, and durable construction suitable for patient rooms.
	Herman Miller Nevi Height Adjustment Table Installation Guide Comprehensive installation instructions for the Herman Miller Nevi Height Adjustment Table, including safety information, parts list, and assembly steps.
	Nemschoff Steps Lounge System GSA Price Book \| Herman Miller Official GSA Price Book for the Nemschoff Steps Lounge System by Herman Miller. Features contract details, product specifications, pricing, and ordering information for government procurement.
	Nemschoff Serenity Recliner GSA Price Book - Herman Miller Official GSA Price Book for Nemschoff Serenity Recliners from Herman Miller, detailing contract information, product specifications, pricing, and ordering details for government agencies.
	Herman Miller Passport Work Table, Screen, and Bag Hook Installation Guide This guide provides detailed installation instructions for the Herman Miller Passport Work Table, including the Passport Work Table Screen and Passport Work Table Bag Hook. It covers parts, assembly steps, and important user information for safe and proper setup.
	Herman Miller Flo X Monitor Arm: Ergonomic Support for Single & Multi-Screen Setups Discover the Herman Miller Flo X monitor arm, offering effortless ergonomic adjustment, heavy screen support up to 18kg, and versatile configurations for single, dual, and triple monitor setups. Features include advanced D-ring tilt and integrated cable management.